These hands-on winter theme activities for preschoolers are sure to make your winter theme preschool lesson plans all the more fun. Download these free winter activities for preschoolers at the end of this post.
Free Winter Lesson Plans for Preschoolers
There are so many concepts you can teach when you study a winter preschool theme. From hats and mittens and snowmen to ice and penguins and hibernating animals, there is a lot of content you can teach.
Have you ever spent a week teaching your preschoolers just about ice and snow? Then these winter lesson plans are for you!
You get 16+ low-prep winter activities for preschoolers that are easy to do at home and 100% centered around ice and snow. And the best part is that they’re already collected into a tidy, week-long winter lesson plan, so all you need to do is print, collect a few common household supplies, and teach!
There are over 50 themes of free weekly preschool lesson plans available, but for your convenience we have bundled them together below!
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* Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans BundleProduct on sale$20.00
FAQ About Adding a Winter Theme to Your January Lesson Plan Ideas
January is the most popular time to teach a winter theme in preschool. Topics like ice and snowmen, mittens and boots, and penguins and arctic animals are all fitting. Try spending an entire week learning all about winter clothing or learning about ice and snow.
While snowy woodland scenes are icons of winter landscape, you can still teach a winter preschool even if it doesn’t snow where you live. You can teach about ice and frozen things, hibernating animals, as well as coats and mittens and other ways we dress for cold weather. What animals do in the wintertime is also an interesting theme for preschoolers.
On top of that, you can purchase fake snow that makes a really fun science experiment, but you can even make your own faux snow by mixing baking soda and shaving cream together. Your preschoolers can easily have a winter wonderland experience even while living in a warmer climate.
A well-done preschool theme is going to include a variety of activities in different content areas. This should include winter alphabet activities, winter math activities, sensory and art activities, as well as winter fine motor and dramatic play activities.
You can see all the best winter theme preschool activities here:
>>> Best Winter Activities for Preschoolers <<<
January Themes for Preschool – Ice and Snow Winter Theme
Don’t just stop at snowmen and snow flakes in your winter preschool theme. Use ice cubes, hues of blue, sparkly frost, and more to teach an entire week centered around the characteristics of winter in a colder climate.
Literacy Activities for an Ice & Snow Theme
Winter Pre-writing Practice – These pre-writing practice pages are perfect for building the strength to write and hold a pencil correctly. For younger preschoolers, encourage them to trace the lines with their fingers or move an object along the path to help establish control. This also makes a great toddler activity. For older preschoolers with a mature pencil grip, invite them to use a pencil and carefully trace the lines.
Winter Letter Matching Puzzles – These letter matching puzzles are sure to be great fun and help master the letters of the alphabet. Simply print, cut, and match!
Encourage your preschooler to form a strategy when assembling the puzzle. Perhaps lay them all out and look for matching images. Or put a few in their hand and fan them out looking for the match. After a puzzle is pieced together, encourage your preschooler to share the letter and letter sound.
Don’t Forget About Winter Picture Books
Any preschool theme is made better with some high-quality picture books. Children love reading books that are rich in language and imagery. This is our go-to winter book list for preschoolers.
Math and Science Activities for an Ice & Snow Theme
Icicle Number Formation Cards – Make some chilly icicles and work on your preschooler’s fine motor and counting skills! Print these cards and grab some white and blue beads along with white pipe cleaners. Thread the beads to match the number on the card.
These counting cards help preschoolers practice number formation, but if you don’t have access to a printer, just make your own set on some index cards.
Rainbow Snowman Color Sorting – Practice important color sorting skills with these snowman color sorting mats. Using anything rainbow-colored (like beads, blocks, or pom poms), sort the colors onto the snowman mats. Be sure to read about all eight ways you can use these mats!
Melting Snowman Craft – Draw a series of circles of varying sizes. Color the edges icy blue and gray colors. Cut them out, then layer the circles to make a melting snowman. See this post for inspiration.
Playful Learning Activities for an Ice & Snow Theme
“Snow” Ball Games – Work those hand muscles by crumpling up several pieces of white paper to make “snowballs.” Place them in the center of a large sheet and wave the sheet up and down until all the snowballs fly off the sheet.
This activity is particularly fun if you have several preschoolers or a group of siblings who can help. Play some wintery-themed music. Challenge the kids to bounce the snowballs on the sheet without letting them fly off. This is a great exercise in self control.
Cold Day Read-a-thon – Chilly temperatures? Host a read-a-thon in your house! Build a fort or tent with pillows and blankets, maybe add some Christmas lights, and grab their favorite books. Snuggle up with a warm drink or snow-themed snack and just read for as long as your preschooler has interest. Leave the fort up so it’s available for more reading throughout the day.
Walk the ”Snow” Line – Using painters tape, encourage your child to walk carefully on the path. There is too much snow all around and the snowplow has cleared this safe path… be sure to balance on the line and go slowly! Challenge your preschooler to tip toe on the line, or even walk sideways. Or use cars, trucks, and/or animals to trace the line and help them get safely away from the snow.
Social-Emotional Activities for an Ice & Snow Theme
Simon Says Following Chilly Directions – Simon Says is a great game to build your preschooler’s skills in following directions, listening, taking turns, and being a good sport. Play a snowy version of this game by including fun wintery actions like: shiver like you’re cold, roll a snowball with your hands, put on your winter jacket, and drink a cup of hot chocolate! Take turns and have your preschooler call out the directions for the next game.
Snowman Magic – Go to YouTube (or play the video embedded below) and listen to Snowman Magic by Katherine Tegen. After listening, discuss how George deals with his disappointment after finding that his snowman melted away. Ask your preschooler, “What does George do after his snowman melts away? How would you feel if your snowman melted? Why did the snowman melt?”
This conversation helps young children deal with discouragement and find ways to channel their feelings of disappointment. Ask your preschooler, “What could George do to make himself feel better after the snowman melts?” Encourage answers like get a hug, rebuild, and play with friends.
Just Plain Fun Activities for an Ice & Snow Theme
Snowball Art – Grab some cotton balls, clothespins, white paint, and blue colored paper. Using the clothespin, grab a cotton ball and dip it in the paint. Then use the cotton ball to paint snowballs on the paper. See this post for inspiration. Alternatively–if you’re not adverse to mess–have your preschooler drop the pom pom to make a white “splat” on the paper that looks just like a snowball hitting something.
Sparkly Icy Paintings – Using blue, purple, and white paint, encourage your preschooler to swirl the paint together to make winter scenes. Once dry, paint on some liquid glue and then sprinkle Epsom salt (or even table salt) on top for a sparkly scene!
Paper Plate Snowman – Grab some paper plates and cotton balls to create this fluffy snowman! Just glue two paper plates together. Use a small paper plate for the head and a dinner sized plate for the body. Stretch out cotton balls to give it a fluffy, snow-like appearance. Then add construction paper, fabric scraps, twigs, or buttons to complete your snowman’s look. Be creative and make your snowman unique.
Get Online Activities for an Ice & Snow Theme
Online Story – Go to YouTube (or play the video embedded below) and listen to the book The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. After listening, invite your child to share what they might do on a snowy day. Would they prefer to make a smiley snowman or a snow angel? Would they be like Peter and walk in the snow and make tracks? This is a really fun way for preschoolers to “experience” snow if they live in a warmer climate.
I’m a Little Snowman – This snowy winter song is perfect before a day learning about or playing in the snow. This video is particularly good for toddlers who are still developing their oral language skills, but preschoolers enjoy it as well. You’ll find your preschooler playing pretend after watching this video.
Winter Hokey Pokey – Get up and moving with the winter hokey pokey! Encourage your preschooler to match the movements and use their left and right hands/feet to follow along.
Get Your Free Ice & Snow Preschool Lesson Plans Here
Think these ice and snow activities will make a nice addition to your preschool winter theme lesson plans? Grab the printable version of this post by clicking the image below.
More Lesson Plan Themes for January
From sensory bins and winter art to how animals hibernate, all my kids love these January preschool activities. Be sure to grab all the free printables while you’re reading, and enjoy the winter crafts, too!
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
